


Revelations

by Kitsoa



Category: BIRDMEN - 田辺イエロウ | Tanabe Yellow
Genre: Family, Gen, dad fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 20:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7772047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsoa/pseuds/Kitsoa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Umino comes to Tatsume with a heavy heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt says "Unsettling Revelations" but I ended up disagreeing with the descriptor. Set after Flight 024 Minority Report.

Tatsume clicked his office phone onto the receiver as he rose from his seat.

“Sorry about that.” He crossed over the sitting area to secure the door with a cautionary flick of the knob. “Is the tea okay?”

Umino Tsubame gave a small smile as she cradled the the warm mug. “It’s great. Thank you.”

The professor chuckled as he sat on the couch across the girl. “This is kind of like the first time we met-- officially that is. You’ve always been a little more independent than the others.”

The girl looked down at the hot liquid. “That’s not… really by choice.” She gave a self deprecating chuckled.

Tatsume sighed at this known predicament. “While I will be the first to rail on those boys for not making the extra effort, we should probably evaluate what you can do about that. I mean it can’t be healthy.”

Umino recoiled a little on herself weighted by shame.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re here for you.”

“I… I wanted to ask you something…”

Tatsume caught himself with a start. “Oh! There reason you’re here… What can I help you with?” He dipped his head to catch her dropping gaze, obviously concerned over the energetic girls sober demeanor.

“Well… Karasuma… he told us something you said to him in private…” She trailed, the topic making her slightly uncomfortable. “I wanted to understand it a little better.”

The professor narrowed his eyes, having said a lot to Eishi in confidence, but having a sneaking suspicion about this concerning topic. He prepared himself with shift in his weight, eyes glued to Umino’s shaking focus. She took in a breath and sealed it with a deliberate frown.

“I-is it true… that we can’t have kids?”

She had steeled herself to ask that question-- memories of Eishi’s pragmatic dictation of this fact echoing in her mind. None of the flock had noteworthy reactions to the news that they were genetic dead ends, it had never been on their radar and they either never thought of it or didn’t care. 

Suspicions confirmed, Tatsume took a moment to sip at his own cup of tea. 

“Is having children a pressing concern for you?”

The professor might scold himself for the tact. Answering the girl’s question with another? Yet the circumstance was fragile, they were young and he couldn’t predict the complicated emotions in an adult less so as a girl as young as her.

She looked down at her tea a little lost in thought. “Um… no…  _ er _ , kinda.”

Tatsume was patient as she gathered her thoughts. She shuffled with nerves, uncomfortable with the subject matter, and even more so with her audience of choice.

“I mean, g-getting married and having a family… I know it’s a little early to be  _ concerned _ about it… and I honestly never even  _ think _ about it… but it’s… it’s always been in the plan. You know?”

Tatsume couldn’t help his loving smile at her innocence on the matter. It was mature and colored greater depths to the already vibrant girl before him. She didn’t let herself get swung by lofty commitments in subjects as beyond her as family rearing. It was only by threat of confiscation that she evaluated her emotions, and sought further information to better react to the situation. A loss is a loss, whether one was prepared or not for it. He narrowed his eyes contemplating how best to go about this explanation.

“I’m not sure I can reassure you in the way you want Umino.” He said with a pitying sigh. Nevertheless his encouraging gaze was stedfast and held her attention. He took a breath.

“You’re an entirely different species now. So no, you can’t have kids.”

She must have been holding onto some hope and he watch it slide through her fingers. The professor let a beat of silence pass in evaluation.

“...at least not with humans.”

Her head shot up. Tatsume had to wonder how Eishi broke the news to the flock. He probably never gauged how vital the sense of tact and thoroughness would be in the explanation.

“So you mean…”

Tatsume was fretting over the particulars of this revelation. If such a line of thought was ever in consideration, regardless of serious pursuit, it could inadvertently complicate the group dynamic. 

“You could have a family with other Birdmen.”

And that was the problem with such a dramatic minority. She immediately got a very strange, very guarded, and very contemplated expression that only manifested in wide eyes, a twisted brow, and pursed lips...

She blushed.

The professor was suddenly overwhelmed with the implications of his words and the potentials her mind was reviewing. He jumped in a knee-jerk reaction.

“I-I mean as far as we know that’s the case!” He gave a nervous laugh. “But considering the outlying nature of your species there are a lot of variables to take into account. Technically you reproduce through DNA transfer-- it’s external. We can’t be confident here.”

Embarrassed energy brought him to rambling nonsense, but the girl followed him regardless, her expression suddenly dropping in disappointment.

“B-but…”

Oh he couldn’t win. He heaved a sigh.

“Look, there are a lot of uncertainties in your future. I’ve concluded that it’s theoretically impossible for your kind to have children with humans, but we can’t rule anything out…

“I know that such a reality makes things seem…  _ limited _ . But just promise that despite this minority status… you’ll focus on living your life the way you want to.”

He set his jaw, sincerely driving his point into her heart.

“Even if it’s impossible?”

“Even so.”

She took in his words with another sip of tea, still distracted. “Thank you, Professor.”

Tatsume’s chest fluttered for a moment and his eyes widened in surprise. She presented him a thoughtful smile that exceeded her usual pep. They were kids, struggling, and learning, and looking ahead. He was once again swept by the need to protect their existence.

The professor had long exceeded the window for a family yet he frequently satisfied his paternal instincts while grading assignments. He loved igniting curious minds and guiding them to success. It was a joy he could share as they discovered their potential or found a passion in the subject matter he devoted himself to. He found meaning in their growth despite his station preventing anything more than a shallow bond. Nevertheless he had sensed something when he took Eishi’s hand, accepting to take their case. He had been content with his current setup, but the idea of fostering these kids seemed to expand his concept of the world. 

It was special.

“Thank you for coming to me Umino. It’s not an ideal conversation with a man much less a stranger, but… don’t hesitate to call on me again.”

Her eyes lit up, tickled by his bashful gratitude. She nodded sharply. “Definitely.”

He laughed, taken aback by the return of her heroic gusto. “Say Professor, do  _ you _ want a family?” There was a coy tease on her lips and she leaned forward. Amazing how fast she flipped with the subject.

“Huh?” Defenses down, he scrambled at his seeming transparency. “No no. I’m married to the job and my students are my kids.”

“Really?”

“Yes, products of a dear and devoted love.”

She threw her head back with a self-satisfied giggle, her burden loads lighter. “So creepy~”

He gasped with scandal at the dreaded title. “ _ Creepy _ ?” The teacup was freed from his hands so he could make his defensive gestures of intellectual authority. “I’ll have you know, many teachers subscribe to that philosophy and what’s more-- I’m a scientist! Such a study  _ demands _ a sizable interest.”

She was still giggling, holding her mouth with a flush face.

“Well.” She declared as she rose from her seat, smile still securely beaming. “I hope you save some room for us too.”

Speechless, Tatsume watched her grab her bag, ready to depart. He almost missed his cue to see her out. As he watch the girl depart down the hall after their parting pleasantries, the professor called out.

"Umino!" She turned to see his heartfelt smile by his office door with a wave.

"You're already there."

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I think infertility has the potential to be quite the dilemma to people regardless of age. Particularly to dreamers like Umino. It's a tough balance between ration disinterest in a topic and the understandable void of seemingly loosing something. It ended up turning into a Tatsume tribute because I can't get enough of wholesome (heh... mostly) teachers who take on a parental role.


End file.
